Roskam urges Obama to ‘reaffirm, not reevaluate’ U.S.-Israel ties

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), co-chairman of the House Republican Israel Caucus, sent a letter to President Obama on Monday that expressed growing concern with recent reports that indicate his administration plans to “reevaluate” its relationship with Israel, including potentially seeking a reduction in United Nations assistance to the nation.

Roskam said he is confident that Israel has maintained the international peace and security obligations required for U.N. support.

“Throughout its history, Israel has demonstrated a unique willingness to make difficult concessions for peace. Good-faith negotiations led Israel to peace with both Egypt and Jordan — agreements that have served as anchors of stability in the region. In the past few years, Israel has again taken profound steps in its quest for peace with its Palestinian neighbors, including extending settlement construction freezes and releasing deadly terrorists,” Roskam said. “And yet these actions were met with the Palestinian Authority pursuing unilateral statehood at the U.N and forming a unity government with Hamas — an internationally recognized terrorist organization that seeks Israel’s destruction.”

Roskam then said it was important to reaffirm the U.N.-Israel alliance as the Islamic State and other regional extremist groups gain power.

“The increasing threat posed by Iran’s ongoing quest for nuclear weapons and the rise of ISIS and other Islamic extremists underscore the need to maintain an unbreakable relationship with our greatest ally in the region — the State of Israel. Now is the time to reaffirm, not ‘reevaluate,’ this critical partnership. Therefore, I urge you to ensure the historic strategic and moral bonds between the United States and Israel remain strong now and into the future.”